Bus Shite

[Volksy]

I made that Revel Routemaster, It is a big old complex kit. Took me about two weeks to make all the seats, which are individually painted (legs, seatbase, seatback and armrests), constructed and the moquette pattern applied by waterslide transfers. 

Sadly it got mullered in a housemove and I didn't have the heart or energy to repair it or start another one. 🤣

 

[Yoss]

4 hours ago, Tenmil Socket said:

Is anyone into building plastic model kits of buses? I would like to build a 1980's double decker over winter if such a thing exits? I'm talking the AirFix type of kit... after a brief Googling they seem to be metal kits or miniatures for railways diorama.

No idea how good any of these are, just from a couple pages of 'plastic model buses'. I had to add the word plastic to weedle out all the white metal kits. 

I like the look of that LT Olympian. 

[SunnySouth]

6 hours ago, Yoss said:

No idea how good any of these are, just from a couple pages of 'plastic model buses'. I had to add the word plastic to weedle out all the white metal kits. 

I like the look of that LT Olympian. 

The Olly isn’t a bad kit, it‘s a shite sight better than Corgi’s attempt a few years later! Easy to build and cheap to buy, but the OP did say he was after something a bit bigger. Sadly though it’s all 1:76 / OO gauge as it matches the railway stuff, there’s not much else out there really certainly for UK stuff.

[jon.k]

I bought a couple of tower models kits years ago. One was a national and I can't remember the other one. I got my uncle to help me because he's a lifelong obsessive modeller but I seem to remember that was not at all impressed with the quality of them. I'm not sure that we attempted to make the second one. Maybe I was just unlucky. 

Thinking about it, guy at the model show who I bought them from almost laughed when I picked them out and practically laughed at me!

[SunnySouth]

22 hours ago, jon.k said:

I bought a couple of tower models kits years ago. One was a national and I can't remember the other one. I got my uncle to help me because he's a lifelong obsessive modeller but I seem to remember that was not at all impressed with the quality of them. I'm not sure that we attempted to make the second one. Maybe I was just unlucky. 

Thinking about it, guy at the model show who I bought them from almost laughed when I picked them out and practically laughed at me!

The Tower National kit is, by any reasonable assessment, crap. An EFE die cast is much better, far less aggro and can mostly be had for peanuts from ebay etc. As above though the Olympian is, IMHO, quite a decent attempt!

[quicksilver]

4 hours ago, SunnySouth said:

The Tower National kit is, by any reasonable assessment, crap. An EFE die cast is much better, far less aggro and can mostly be had for peanuts from ebay etc. As above though the Olympian is, IMHO, quite a decent attempt!

I still rate the Tower Olympian as the best model of the type and being plastic it's easy to modify. The glazing and wheels are a bit naff but easily replaced and I've seen some really stunning examples built by talented modellers. It was reissued by Peco a few years ago so still pretty easy to find too.

How about a tri-axle motorway coach version as an example of the things that can be done with them?

[busmansholiday]

On 29/10/2024 at 16:27, Yoss said:

I've got one of those in the loft still unbuilt. I certainly never paid anything like that for it though, but then I have had it over ten years. I'm sure I'll get round to it one day. Though I'd want an RM not an RML but I'm not sure my skills are up to that. I know it's just cutting the small window bay out but it would have to be very precise if it's not going to look shit. 

Well fuck me sideways (as we say up north), I've had one 12 years and haven't yet got around to building it, BUT, until now I hadn't realised it was an RML !. I thought it was an RM and I was going to build it as per my avatar, one of the Sri Lankan ones.  Oh well, there's a chain saw in the garage.

 

[Yoss]

31 minutes ago, busmansholiday said:

Well fuck me sideways (as we say up north), I've had one 12 years and haven't yet got around to building it, BUT, until now I hadn't realised it was an RML !. I thought it was an RM and I was going to build it as per my avatar, one of the Sri Lankan ones.  Oh well, there's a chain saw in the garage.

 

If you're going for the Sri Lankan look it probably won't matter if you can see the join! 

[busmansholiday]

13 minutes ago, Yoss said:

If you're going for the Sri Lankan look it probably won't matter if you can see the join! 

I've loads of pics of them over the years I went there (from 1999 until 2016 and a Buses Extra and Routemaster Owners Article I wrote as well) so disguising the joint isn't going to be difficult. Do I paint it yellow, blue, red, green, maroon or just have bits dangling off it (plus the obligatory dented roof)?

[Yoss]

19 minutes ago, busmansholiday said:

I've loads of pics of them over the years I went there (from 1999 until 2016 and a Buses Extra and Routemaster Owners Article I wrote as well) so disguising the joint isn't going to be difficult. Do I paint it yellow, blue, red, green, maroon or just have bits dangling off it (plus the obligatory dented roof)?

The battered roof dome was the first thing I thought about. Obviously you could heat it and hit it with things but that might take a but of practice. 

[High Jetter]

To return to full size bus shite, Wolverhampton:

[Inspector Morose]

1 hour ago, High Jetter said:

To return to full size bus shite, Wolverhampton:

Wolverhampton had the largest trolleybus system in the world at one point in the 30s. That one was a Sunbeam W of 1946 that had been rebodied in 1959 with Roe teak framed bodywork. Lovely things and I've had the pleasure of piloting the last survivor (DUK833) for many a mile around the Black Country Museum.

Oh, and the brakes were pressure hydraulically (instead of a vacuum servo) assisted hydraulic. Try getting your head around that.

[Metal Guru]

On 26/10/2024 at 20:13, Yoss said:

That's a Go Ahead company wide promotion. 

Salisbury Reds have one. 

As do Morebus 

 

It's not the same livery but London General have a couple too. 

 

The aim is apparently to have 50% women drivers by some point in the future. That's vague I know but I can't remember the actual date. 

If I was a woman, I’d feel incredibly insulted if a bus company used pink buses to try to attract me to becoming a bus driver. FFS were talking about adults given the responsibility for the safety of 80 passengers not five year olds choosing a party dress.